Maurice Corry

16 May 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage growth in the retail sector.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government recognises the value of a successful and vibrant retail sector and regularly engages with the Scottish Retail Consortium and other key stakeholders across a wide range of policy priorities. In the face of recognised challenges to high…

3 May 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many veterans it has recorded as homeless in each of the last three years.

25 Apr 2017 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what priority treatment and services are available for veterans on the NHS.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all UK armed forces veterans living in Scotland are able to access the best possible NHS care and support. Veterans are entitled to receive priority treatment and services for health problems they have s…

13 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of vacancy rates and recruitment of maths teachers.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not collect formal statistics on teacher vacancies. However, to strengthen the annual teacher workforce planning exercise for 2017-18, local authorities were asked to provide teacher vacancy numbers as at 21 September 2016. Loc…

9 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) early service leavers and (b) veterans have been supported into (i) employment and (ii) a modern apprenticeship by (A) Community Jobs Scotland and (B) Scotland’s Employer Recruitment Incentive.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring support for veterans and early service leavers and recognise that they can face barriers to finding sustainable employment. That is why following the publication of the Scottish Veteran’s Commissioner’s repor…

9 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) programmes and (b) initiatives it ran specifically for (i) early service leavers and (ii) veterans during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2017.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2017, our largest annual promotional campaign, took place between 6-10 March which promotes the benefits that apprenticeships bring to the economy, individuals and businesses. Though there were no events this year specifically aim…

28 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that schoolchildren are being encouraged to read books.

Answer · John Swinney: Raising attainment in literacy is a central aim of this Government. We are making £750m available to schools during the course of this Parliament through the Scottish Attainment Challenge to help close the attainment gap between those from the most and least …

9 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes teaching as a career option to personnel leaving the armed forces, and what steps it takes to make the transition process as smooth as possible.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting Service leavers and veterans realise their full potential in their chosen civilian careers. The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) https://www.ctp.org.uk/ is contracted to the Ministry of Defence (MoD…

20 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many college places have been made available in the West Scotland parliamentary region in each year since 2005, broken down by (a) college and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Data for West College Scotland, Ayrshire College and New College Lanarkshire are included in the following tables as New College Lanarkshire has a campus in Kirkintilloch and Ayrshire College has campuses in Irvine and Kilwinning. FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents…

13 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many empty commercial properties there have been in each local authority in the West Scotland parliamentary region in each year since 2007.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The number of empty non-domestic rateable properties in each local authority in the West Scotland parliamentary region in each year since 2007, is shown in the following table. The figures are as reported on the Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll at 1 April e…

13 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated economic cost is of empty commercial properties in the West Scotland parliamentary region.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not hold estimates of the economic cost of empty commercial properties in the West Scotland parliamentary region.

7 Dec 2016 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure the continued viability of rural care homes.

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) which police stations and facilities have been closed in the West Scotland parliamentary region since 2007 and what the reason was for each of the closures.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Scottish Police Authority has responsibility for the police estate. The SPA’s Chief Executive, John Foley, can be contacted at The Scottish Police Authority, 1 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1DZ.

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all operational police stations and facilities in the West Scotland parliamentary region.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Scottish Police Authority has responsibility for the police estate. The Chief Executive, John Foley, can be contacted at The Scottish Police Authority, 1 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1DZ.

1 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in each year since 2007 on flood prevention in the West Scotland region, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Flooding capital grant - Funding Allocations for Flood Protection Schemes since 2007 (£,000s) Argyll and Bute East Dunbartonshire Inverclyde North Ayrshire Renfrewshire West Dunbartonshire 2007-08 221 862 687 2008-09 160 880 907 533…

30 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting town centre regeneration in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) East Dunbartonshire, (c) East Renfrewshire, (d) Inverclyde, (e) North Ayrshire, (f) Renfrewshire and (g) West Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Town Centre First Principle (TCFP) agreed by the Scottish cabinet and all Council Leaders asks that all investment decisions consider the impact on the town centre as a starting point. Furthermore, the measures set out in the Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP…

30 Nov 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Audit Scotland report, Local government in Scotland: Financial overview 2015/16.

29 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) East Dunbartonshire, (c) Renfrewshire and (d) West Dunbartonshire are receiving assistance from the Attainment Fund Scotland, which schools they are and what the value is of the assistance they are receiving.

Answer · John Swinney: Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire are part of the Challenge Authorities programme. This year Renfrewshire has been allocated £1,711,919 and West Dunbartonshire has been allocated £1,850,410 to deliver local improvement plans - focused on improving literacy…

28 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes modern apprenticeships to military service leavers.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Prior to leaving military service the Career Transitions Partnership (CTP) and Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are working more closely to improve the careers advice available to military personnel. If a Modern Apprenticeship is an appropriate route for the…

28 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with employers to promote hiring military service leavers.

Answer · Keith Brown: As set out in “Renewing Our Commitments” published in February 2016, the Scottish Government is working to build up relationships with employers in Scotland, particularly in the private sector, to promote Service leavers as an asset. I have met a number of su…

28 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it does with (a) the UK Government and (b) local authorities to ensure that online advice and briefings regarding housing (i) policy and (ii) provision take account of the needs of military service leavers considering settling in Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government works with a range of partners to ensure that online advice and briefings regarding housing policy and provision take account of the needs of military Service leavers considering settling in Scotland. The Scottish Government has produ…

28 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) guidance and (b) support it provides to military service leavers who are considering settling in Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: 'Renewing our Commitments' published in February this year, sets out the Scottish Government's aim that our Armed Forces community receive the best possible support both while serving and when they move to civilian life. Last month I announced that total fun…

25 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on each of the recommendations of the report by the Scottish Veterans Commissioner, The Veterans Community - Employability, Skills and Learning.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government welcomes the Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s report "The Veterans Community - Employability, Skills and Learning". The Scottish Government will consider fully the report’s findings and recommendations. I welcome and accept the Commis…

25 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many empty (a) private and (b) public sector residential properties there have been in each local authority area in the West Scotland parliamentary region in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Information on the total number of long term empty properties, second homes, and unoccupied exemptions in Scotland in each local authority area as at September each year is published as part of the Housing Statistics for Scotland web tables available at http:…

23 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on improvements to each trunk road in the West Scotland parliamentary region in each year since 2007.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has spend £682 million on trunk road improvements in the West Scotland parliamentary region since 2007. This comprises £628 million on the M74 completion in June 2011, £16 million on the Symington and Bog End Toll Improvement project c…

21 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in the West Scotland parliamentary region on the provision of residential care homes in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority area and whether it was for private or public sector homes.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The statutory responsibility for delivering or commissioning services at a local level, including care home provision, lies with NHS boards, local authorities and integrated health & social care partnerships. It is for individual councils to decide how their …

21 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many care home places it estimates will be required in the West Scotland parliamentary region in each of the next three decades, broken down by local authority area and whether they will be in private or public sector homes.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Each Health and Social Care Partnership is required by the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 to put in place a strategic commissioning plan for the integrated functions and budgets that they control. Before undertaking the strategic commissio…

21 Nov 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many care home places there (a) are and (b) have been in each year since 2007 in the West Scotland parliamentary region, broken down by local authority area and whether the places are or were in private or public sector homes.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The West of Scotland has 7 local authorities. There are three wholly within the boundary: East Renfrewshire; West Renfrewshire; Inverclyde; and four partly within the boundary: Argyll & Bute, East Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire & Renfrewshire. The numbers of …

16 Nov 2016 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of the Kilcreggan to Gourock ferry route.

27 Oct 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote a better understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to help improve the assessment of veterans.

Answer · Shona Robison: Health and social care professional are well placed to deliver care and support and promote a better understanding of PTSD to help improve the assessment of veterans. The Scottish Government funds the provision of specialist mental health services for vetera…